Evil-Born or Betrayal Turned?
by InsanityWriting
Summary: -Each labored breath makes her body scream in agony. Whip marks stretch from her shoulders to her hips. Blood runs from her wounds. Her shirt, loose from weeks without food, is missing the back from the torture she had been put through. She had been there, in that same room, for more than seven years. She was taken when she was nearly eighteen. For seven years, she hasn't left.-
1. Chapter 1

Mold. The cell stank of it. Mold, along with piss and shit. The walls are coated with the slimy substance of mildew. Anyone who dared to breathe through their nose deeply would gag as tears obscured their vision. Chains rattle. The room is nearly pitch black, a small rectangle of light coming from a thick, metal door infused with iron. Iron that burns those that wield magic from Earth. The patch of light shines down on the cement floor, showing off old, dried blood. Pools of newer blood stain the floor as well. Labored and pained breathing is the only sound within the cell of cement walls, floor, and ceiling. Iron is infused with everything but the floor.

The woman is lying on her side.

Her honey blond hair is swept over her face, fluttering with each slow breath. The greasy strands stick in the blood surrounding her, the pool growing one milliliter at a time. Her legs are touching, arching forwards and bending at the knees. Several scars, pinpricks or not, litter her calves and thighs. Her ankle and below are untouched, savor for scabs between her toes and on the bottom of her feet. Her arms are littered with scars and cuts. New or old. Her back is the worst of it.

She can hardly breathe.

Each labored breath makes her body scream in agony. Whip marks stretch from her shoulders to her hips. Blood runs from her wounds. Her shirt, loose from weeks without food, is missing the back from the torture she had been put through. She had been there, in that same room, for more than seven years. She was taken when she was nearly eighteen. She would have turned within four months. She's nearing twenty-four, or maybe she already is.

And he's the one that gave her up.

She had known him since she was to young to remember, before she counted as a toddler. He was the first to know. For nearly a year, she had denied it. Denied that her first love was the one who had thrown her into the clutches of HYDRA. He was average, just barely taller than her. Her gaze landed straight below his eyes. He had naturally bronze skin. He had short, steady fingers with large palms. His eyes are dark brown, nearly black. Just thinking of him makes her heart hurt. He was her first kiss. Her first _everything._

A huff of bitter laughter fills the cell as her eyes glare into the box of light. The lights hanging from the ceiling outside make blue spots in her vision when she looks away. Her heart throbs. Her physical pain is nothing compared to the heartbreak. She trusted her own mother less than him. She trusted him before she trusted her own parents. Before her brother. Her heart begins to throb with agony. The past her would begin sobbing, trying desperately to ignore the heartache. Now, she stares blankly ahead, nearly relishing the only emotion she's felt in so long.

Her wrists are aching from the metal around them. Her wrists are chained into the ground. Each link is half an inch thick, going into the cement with no metal plating or screws. They put the chain _in_ the cement. The metal cuffs around her wrists glow blue. If she tries to escape, they'll electrocute her until she passes out. She nearly shudders at the memory but suppresses it. The people ignore her wails of agony whenever she tries. Her turquoise eyes, faintly glowing, stare down at her hands through the eye-holes in her purple mask that resembles the universe, covered by honey blond hair. She pulls her gaze to the door when the several locks disengage.

She can see red within the box of light, and only now to the screams of pain reach her ears. So many. Overwhelming. Her hands tremble with the need to cover her ears. She can't move. Her eyes harden, and she forces herself to still as the door begin to open. Her throat bellows in torment, the tinny taste of blood flowing through her mouth. She hears voices murmuring as harsh, artificial light fills the room. With her clothes, all dark, they won't see her until they look. But, knowing HYDRA, that already know.

Strangers walk in. As usual. She glares at them, wishing for any sort of way to get out. To see the sun, even if it blinds her. Hell, to smell garbage. The two visibly cringe after just a small sniff. She's pathetically used to it. As the months went by, the smell somehow got better to handle in the beginning. She hardly notices it unless she leaves for an hour and comes back. Of the twin strangers, one gags while the other one makes a disgusted grumble. She stays still for what seems like hours. Their hushed words are garbled and inaudible before a feminine gasp, though short and cut off, fills the room.

They had found her after several minutes.

Instantly, shadows hide the light from the door, relieving her burning eyes. She drags her turquoise eyes up, only to see a woman with a body hugging suit of some sort looking over her. She's the red she saw - her hair. She sees the woman, and feels, her prodding gently at her legs. The words flowing from both of their mouths are quiet. They must think her dead. When the woman accidentally presses down on a deep wound, most likely infected, the woman lets out an airy groan of pain. The two shoot away, the man too far to be clearly seen in her blurred eyesight.

She feels herself being lifted. She doesn't struggle, but inwardly begins to shake in terror once she realizes the man was the one who picked her up. She keeps her eyes open, though it doesn't help. From being used to darkness for so long, her eyes burn with a fiery ferocity and her surroundings are blurred. Her body aches with every bump, which she knows is the man stepping. He's going fast, most likely sprinting. Her body jostles, and suddenly there's more voices. Hands, rough and gently, prod at her wounds and scars. She can't hear anything as a ringing starts in her ears. She feels a hand gently touch the mask, warm fingertips dipping below the edge-

She screams.

Her throat burns and blood starts running down her throat, but she continues screaming as the tough is wrenched away. She feels a surge shoot through her, shocking her system. Her fists clench weakly as she screams louder yet, eyes shutting tightly. Several crashes follow, and sounds of pained yelping and bellowing following. Glass breaks. Loud booms - _Guns_ she remembers - echo. Pain hits her with a pinprick to the arm.

Her cries are silenced and her body goes limp. 

She snaps open her eyes which glow brighter. She can feel the familiar porcelain mask on her face. She looks around, reaching under it to feel the same cut, now healed, with dried blood scabbed over it. She blinks rapidly, blue dancing across her vision. She tries to move, only to realize straps are forcing her still. Keeping her legs down. One over her shins and thighs, then stomach. She doesn't bother to fight against the restraints. They kept her arms open.

Forcing her aching body to move, she glances around her surroundings. Her heart catches in her throat. She's in a glass tank. Glass below, above, and all around her in a cylinder. She sits up straighter, reaching down and unstrapping the thick leather pieces. She falls onto the floor. Landing on her side, she lays still for several minutes before voices, barely audible, make her tilt her head, looking to her side. Her eyes narrow immediately in suspicion as she surveys them one at a time.

There's a dark skinned man, arms folded behind his back, as he stands in front of a container similar to hers. She watches with interest as he continues speaking, gesturing to a mess of dials and buttons below the steps. He's wearing an eye patch. Her body aches, her muscles unable to stop shaking as she pushes herself up. She bites down on her tongue, drawing blood as she wobbles into a crawl. The door to her cage opens, and alarmed shouts squirm into her ears. Glancing up, she sees several men in black suits aiming guns at her. She hold back a scowl, rising stubbornly into a stand.

Her knees get kicked from behind, but as a reflex she bends them and flips, bragging the mans head between her calves and throwing him to the ground as she twists in one movement. She hears clicks, but no one fires at her. She bares her teeth, turquoise glinting in the dark. The dark skinned man steps in methodically, with calculated steps. She watches closely. It doesn't escape her eye that the man in the cage similar to hers in smirking, looking at her. The man stops within a foot of the doorway.

"Stand down." He orders, trying to insert some sort of dominance over her. She fights against scowling darkly. Her mind reels for answers, finally settling on a plan of action. She has to wait until he barely suspects, however. She glares at him, tilting her chin in defiance. His jaw tightens. "Stand." Down." He orders, more roughly and harshly. Deciding that's enough, she fakes a flinch an sags her shoulders, dropping her gaze to his feet. The guards tense at the movement, but she sees their grips loosen slightly. _Perfect._ She thinks with an invisible sneer.

"Now, you have something we need." The man speaks. She stays silent. He steps closer. "You can hear me. You're the ant, I am the boo-"

She interrupts him by having a familiar surge shoot through her, throwing all of the men back against the glass. The cage drops several feet, making her growl in annoyance and worry. Before any of them have a chance to fire, or the man to call for reinforcements, she runs through the door. She goes to the control panel closest to hers, frantically searching the buttons, flips, and dials. Green, blue, and red glare up at her. She slams a fist down on the green just as something throws her to the side. She grunts, rising her head as she goes through the wall. Her body wails in agony.

She stays silent.

Blood drips down her whole body, wounds reopening. A man in a black suit is holding a large gun, pointed directly at her. A large syringe is planted in her thigh. She hisses from the sting, trying to rise only to realize she can't move. The second man backs away.

"Curare." The mans states. Instantly, she growls and struggles to move more. The plant is paralyzing. The woman with red hair steps from behind the balding man who still holds a smirk on his face. She surveys her like a piece of meat. The woman hisses. The energy inside of her coils painfully, wishing to be let out from so long of being forced to hold it in. "Now, I'm not sure what this does," He starts as she sends him a glare worthy to bring a king to his knees. "but I wouldn't mind testing it on you."

Still glaring, she forces the men from her cage to be thrown into the wall, though, with a smirk, she sends the leader right into the man holding the large gun. Both let out grunts of annoyance and pain. She smirks as several guards pull her back into her cage, tossing her in carelessly. Though a part of her wishes to throw a sarcastic comment, she stays silent. Her voice was beaten from her. Each time she even coughed, they would whip her twenty times.

She lands on her side, her back facing the man in the separate container. Before the doors close, she can already hear the whispers of disgust as several agents glare at her scars. Letting the magic float into her blood stream, she stands and stomps forward, startling several agents into scurrying away. Too prideful to admit how exhausted she is, she turns lethargically, striding towards the cot. She sits on it, only to find her gaze becoming locked with an emerald pair of eyes staring right back.


	2. Chapter 2

She stares straight back, unyielding. She doesn't blink, even when her eyes start to redden and burn. The emerald orbs glare into her. Feeling the familiar nudge against her conscious, she narrows her eyes slightly and slams walls around her mind. Instantly, the stranger reacts by scowling at her. She holds down a smirk, reaching under her mask to rub the irritating scar, still scabbed. The stranger's brow quirks upwards in smug curiosity. She keeps her walls up but lays down on the cot, staring up at the ceiling with dull turquoise eyes.

She feels the intense stare still tingling her skin after she wakes up. She's not sure when she fall asleep, but she has faith that she didn't move or make it seem like she was asleep. She sits up rigidly when a small exhale alerts her of someone in the room. She glares at the red head, reaching up to feel under her mask. She can tell it wasn't taken off - she would have woken up from it being lifted away from her face anyways.

"Finally awake, I see." The woman starts, sitting on a chair near the door. "Come on, we're getting you cleaned up." She states, standing and walking from the room. The woman stays still on the cot, narrowing her blue-green eyes. The redhead stops, turning towards her. "Come on." She says, this time more commanding. She stays still, seeing the redhead start to bristle up in anger, though she manages to keep a cool exterior. "Okay." She says, closing the door behind her as she leaves. The woman swings her legs over to the side, moving and sitting in the middle of the room, shoving aside the table she woke up on.

She sits on her backside, balancing herself as she wraps her arms around her legs, using her heels to balance better. She presses her forehead to her knees. Her honey-blond hair covers some of her face, but the mask covers from her nose up. In order to keep the government off her trail, she wears a masquerade mask that covers her whole nose, cheekbones, eyebrows and forehead. She feels naked without it. Though she misses the wind on her whole face, she doesn't dare take the mask off. It's the only thing that's kept her safe.

She lets the waves of magic spread out, not stopping as the magic streams through the air. Only she, and other magic-wielders, can see her magic. As always, when she looks up she sees the familiar silver cloud like strings floating through the air. It suddenly all sharpens, slamming into the glass. It cracks, and her cage drops several feet. The woman looks below her, seeing the ocean below her. She has to wait until the time comes. Her nose wrinkles at her smell. She hadn't realized how bad it was.

She looks up at a knock, seeing the redhead holding a gun and a familiar pair of cuffs. Instantly, the feel of claustrophobia makes the woman stand and back away a single step from the redhead as she walks into the chamber. The woman gives her a look she knows all too well. Pity, sympathy. Instantly, her eyes narrow and she bares her teeth at her. Against all odds, they still shine white. It contrasts disgustingly with her dirty, bloody face body and clothes. The woman rolls her neck slightly. The honey-blond haired woman steps back, hunching her shoulders slightly and braces herself.

The woman tries to tackle her.

Spinning, she jumps back. Her body lands on the cot. She uses it for traction, pulling the mattress from under her feet. As the redhead reaches for her again, she forces her aching body up, drop kicking the mattress into her. She doesn't hesitate to turn and try to leave, only to ram into someone. She hisses, jerking her head up when arms pick up her waist, heaving her over a shoulder. Blond hair blocks her vision. She can tell it's a man - at least six feet tall. Instantly, her mind races as she goes limp.

She pants as he starts to leave the room. Green eyes glare into hers for a second, making her smirk slightly. Her eyes pull away as she fakes defeat, staring at the back of his feet. She mentally memorizes the turns he makes before she's pushed from his armored shoulder and into a white room. She looks blankly at the window before surveying the room. While tiles for the walls. Black tiled for e floor. A deep tub. Her lips tilt down. She opens a thin door next to the shower, finding several shelves of towels of various sizes.

She takes out one of the biggest and can and throws it over the mirror, the towel barely able to stay put. She looks at the corners, seeing a few camera's. She yanks them out, snapping the wires with anger. She scours the room several more times before she flips the shower on. Glaring at her body, she lifts shaking arms up. She pulls her shirt off, swallowing thickly. She can count each of her ribs. Her eyes glaze with a thin layer of tears, but she replaces the gesture by scowling darkly. Shedding her loose, threadbare bra, she scratches at the mark on her left breast. They burned it onto her. She glares at the wall, jerking her hand away. She quickly slides from the jeans, crying out only once before managing to stifle her whimpers.

Getting under the water is worse.

She lets out a quiet scream of agony as the hot water pelts her skin before abruptly cutting herself off. Giving up, she allows herself to tumble to the bottom of the tub. Her mask stays dry, being waterproof. She silently cries in agony. Tears roll down her cheeks with water, tickling under the mask. The water runs dark pink and brown. The dirt covering her, and blood, slowly fades away and swirls down the drain. She pants, grinding her teeth against the torment. She blinks, not reacting in any other way as the door opens.

A quiet voice interrupts the sound of water hitting porcelain.

"We got clothes. All sizes. They're on the counter." A quiet shuffle, and the door closes again. The woman covers her face with her hands, tucking her knees to her chest and burrowing her head in her knees. Her mind desperately repeats her name and what she remembers besides him. Her name is Serenity. Her favorite color is sea foam green. Her favorite animal is a wolf. She is twenty three, possibly twenty four. Her favorite movie, pathetically, is Lilo and Stitch. Her favorite hobby was to write. Was. Now she's scared even that is ruined.

She struggles to keep her eyes open.

She -Serenity- wakes up by a single knock. She stands, feeling more refreshed than before. She feels human again. Her vision is clouded by black and she sways, head rush making her feel nauseous. She grips the wall, listening to the words of the man on the other side of the door. She clambers out, stumbling. She grabs one of the biggest shirts and pants that won't hang on her too much, along with underwear and a bra. Shoving them all on slowly, she sits on the cold floor, close to falling asleep. She jerks when the door flies open.

The redhead grips her arm, the blond giant grinning at Serenity from behind her. They start to lead her back to the cell, only for her to go ahead and walk back without a single mistake or hesitation about the maze like halls. Both are equally surprised when she walks into her own cage, not even bothering to lay on the cot as she spreads out of the floor. Her lights dim from above, and she looks down, seeing tall grass beneath her.

She shuts her slightly glowing turquoise eyes. 

Serenity opens her eyes, hearing loud speaking. She rolls over, her gaze sticking to the strange man with the emerald gaze. He's smirking towards her, her eyes narrowing as she forces her exhausted body into a seated position, leaning against the cot. She winces as the blond giant races in. He starts bellowing, though she can't hear the words that well. His head suddenly snaps her her, eyes wide as he starts thundering towards her. She scrambles back but sees a vision of herself stepping out, silver magic pouring from her hands like liquid fire.

Serenity's heart skips a beat, making her grab at her chest and hurry backwards faster. The fake her disappears with a flash of green as the blond oaf flies through it, crashing to the ground. The door closes behind him. He looks around as he rises into a stand, making brief, angered eye contact with her. He roars, turning and hitting the glass with his hammer. She winces slightly, covering her ears at the cracking. The glass cage drops several inches. She lets out a small mewl, barely audible. She cuts herself off before she makes any more noise, biting down harshly on her tongue as the blond continues to relentlessly hammer the glass, even is he exchanges short words with the raven-haired stranger who is smirking haughtily. She lets out a hiss, blood boiling as she glares at him.

As if sensing her gaze, he looks down at her. His smirk only widens, and he begins speaking to the blond, who falters his hit and glances back at her. Then it happens. Her eyes widen in terror as the container suddenly plummets. She tries to claw the glass, only to flat away from it and hit her back against another glass wall. She gasps quietly, her arms reaching for the cot's metal frames. She barely grips it before she hugs it to her, wrapping her arms and legs around it. She shivers as the blond begins to go insane, hitting the walls furiously with his rectangular hammer. He breaks and glass and nearly jumps out, only to turn to her. The ground is coming with dizzying speed.

She grits her teeth, shutting her eyes.

She nearly lets out a yelp of shock when an arm wraps around her waist. Suddenly, she feels the air shooting passed her. The ground is hard as she hits it. The air is stolen from her lungs. She gasps, rolling onto her side while pounding a feeble fist against her chest. Eventually, the air comes back. Her eyes open, only to wince as a strong hand pulls her up. The blond man looks down at her, his steel blue gaze seeming to soften as he looks over her scars and wounds.

"Are you a warrior?" He asks, pulling her along. She stays silent, inwardly quaking at the question. She puts on a familiar mask, staring straight ahead as he lead her to his weapon. The image of him beating her with it echos in her mind. She blinks to cover her reaction. His grip lessens and he takes his open hand to grip the hammer. It doesn't budge. She looks between the two, to the hammer and back to the man. He jerks it once more, freeing it from the soil. He holds it above his head, lightening flashing across the sky with the boom of thunder. She swallows thickly. He starts twirling the hammer, shooting into the sky with her.

Impulsively, she wraps her small frame around him, but keeps an act of cold indifference about her. She glares at the sky, refusing to hide her face in his shoulder or the crook of her neck. Instead, she cranes her head away and focuses on the lightening as if flashes a few more times, the wind whipping her honey blond hair around, blinding her. She swipes the hair from her mouth, starting to scowl. She hesitates before opening her mouth, only to snap it shut as the giant, flying building comes into view, the whole thing tilted dangerously to the side though it's just barely bigger than a dot in the distance.


	3. Chapter 3

The next hours are a blur of yelling and rough grips. Serenity suddenly finds herself locked in a room in a giant tower belonging to the infuriating drunk man. She hisses as the door hisses shut. The disembodied voice is silent. She stalks around the room, pacing angrily. She feels like a monster within a cage, which is not a good combination. Serenity's lips remained pulled back in a small snarl as she paces more, cuffs made by a man with a goatee and an infuriating sense of arrogance snapped around her ankles. It blocks her magick - each time she tries to use it the iron within it will be pushed out and burn her. She doesn't care how they work - they're more useful than the ones that would shock her. Being burned by iron is agony, worse than nearly all torture she's gone through.

She, with shaking limbs, starts to throw the things she can. Glass shatters, book pages are ruined. She ignores the burning in her feet as she steps into the glass, reaching for more valuables. She jerks at the noise of the door opening, turning with a silent snarl as men in black suits step through the door, guns aimed right for her. She releases the largest shard of glass, knowing it's not wise to go against them in this shape.

Sudden clicking and shrieking makes the men turn, only for them to be shot by bright blue lazer-like 'bullets'. Serenity leaps backwards, her back crashing into the wall. Monsters round into her sight. They're tall - nearly eight feet tall. Panic makes her heart race dangerously fast. They shriek, racing towards her. Armor covers the sides of their neck. She hisses, dropping to the ground and rolling under them. Rising with trembling limbs, she runs. Her calves burn and sting. They carry her as fast as they can. She stumbles and falls. She picks her self up, her mask ties loosening underneath the top half of her hair. She races up the stairs, hearing the monsters chasing her.

She growls in raw anger. She wishes her useless body could use her magick, but she doesn't want to be burned. If the iron touches a vein, she could die. She keeps running, her body starting to slow. She branches off, stumbling into a room and shutting the door. Her eyes flick across the room before she lethargically drops to the floor, crawling underneath the bed. She shakes from adrenaline and terror as the door slams to the ground. Her heart jumps in her throat. The monsters flood the room. She bites down on her inner cheek, blood prickling into her mouth. She presses her masked cheek against the floor. The monsters tear the room apart, but never think to look under the bed. Heart beating in her ears, she gulps.

She blinks slowly.

Her body acts as if it's controlled by another person as she slides from under the bed and runs from the room. The monsters left behind shriek and click, but by the time they leave she's already up the stairs onto the other floor. She runs like her life depends on it - because it does. Her legs start to sting, her vision growing tunneled. Serenity doesn't stop. She can't stop. Her breaths fill the halls, gasping pants nearly echoing. The tower floors are getting ruined by her by her still bare feet. She refused to take anything, figuring anything would have trackers in them for when she managed to escape.

She stumbles into a room, falling onto her side.

She rolls over onto her back, keeping her arms out at her sides. She keeps her eyes open, looking back and forth across the ceiling. Her pulse hammers in her ears. her heart stuck in her throat. After a few minutes she finally has the strength to rise. She clumsily staggers onto a pristine white couch, earning a disgusted sound from halfway across the room. She doesn't bother to look up, already feeling the familiar pressure of magick against hers. She instantly slams wall around her mind. Though her body is exhausted, mentally she is still as strong as before she was taken by HYDRA. Or, at least, close to it.

The pressure builds, but she remains strong against it. She barely hears the clicking at it returns. She shifts her eyes to the doorway, barely able to look over the arm of the couch. She hears a voice - cold, stern, deep, sounding like honey - tell them something that only registers as muffles garbles. She blinks slowly, still fighting against the pressure forming a migraine that burns behind her eyes. She hisses at the pain, grinding her teeth. Her hands twitch as it suddenly doubles in pressure. It feels like her head is being beaten with a brick. She shuts her eyes tightly, pressing the pain back as far as she can.

Subconsciously, she starts to weave her magick within herself to ease the pressure. She nearly screams as the iron starts to burn her. She breathes out sharply, trying to stop the flow of her magick. The smell of burning flash wafts her her nose, sickeningly sweet. She breathes through her nose, hands clenching as she stops using the magick forcefully. The pressure builds yet again, but it's better than the burning that still tremors through her ankles. Her heart picks up pace, and she worries if any got in her blood. If so... She opens her glazed, turquoise eyes, seeing familiar eyes glaring down at her. She glares right back, but notices how there is bright, electric blue spotted in his eyes that she didn't see before.

Instantly, her mind slams more walls down, the pressure being thrown from her mind as panic starts to take over. She rolls away, thudding against the ground harshly. The man in odd, leather armor steps around the couch. She surveys him carefully, eyes narrowed. He's wearing plates of leather armor with a green cape, green and gold accents with some silver. He smirks down at her as she struggles to rise. He raises his hand and disappears. Instinctively, she lets magic pour from her and into the room. She lowers herself down into a defensive position, finger tips touching the floor as a spiderweb of her magic flows through the building.

 _There._

She whirls, blocking a blow from the raven-haired man. He glares at her, his hair slightly disheveled. "You mewling quim." He snarls, aiming another hit with his golden, curved scepter. She backs away, ignoring how her legs are shaking from the agony of the burning in her ankles. The iron is merciless as it makes her skin bubble is giant blisters. She heaves in a breath, dodging another blow. He pauses, throwing her a cruel smirk that makes her heart begin to race, though she keeps a mask on her face, keeping her looking emotionless. He raises the scepter, gripping her arm harshly. Even as she tugs it, his grip doesn't loosen.

"You have heart." He says, touching the sharpest tip of the scepter over her heart.

She hisses, fighting against the magick pouring into her. She lets out an agonized gasp, trembling onto her knees. Her head swims, her vision tinting blinding blue. She blinks, before gritting her teeth. Knowing she's weakening, she forces memories to rise to her mind that always makes her magick react. _He kissed her deeply, lovingly, before saying 'I'll never tell anyone.'_ _He betrayed her. She was forced into the cell. Hurt. Torture. Wails. Blood, so much blood. Tears mix with crimson._ She shuts her eyes, brows furrowing as her head tilts back. A scream echos in the room as the magick is torn from her.

Screaming, she collapses to the cold floor, eyes barely open.

The man above her looks at her speechlessly before scowling. His head turns to the side and a victorious smirk crosses his features. "I'll deal with you at a later time, Mortal." He snarls, sneering down at her. She can't catch her breath as she struggles to glare at him. The scream dies in her throat. Her body convulses, the magick retreating within her. Her eyes stay open as she watches the stranger go to the middle of the room, before going out of a side door, outside onto a looping patio. He stands for a few minutes before smiling to himself haughtily, walking back inside while looking up and over his shoulder.

Her brows lift slightly in surprise as the man with the goatee steps into the room from an upper patio area. He's the one that put the clamps around her ankles. Anger ignites within her. She can't register their words, but sees him gesture to her from behind a bar while pouring himself a drink. He puts bracelets on, making her eyes narrow in suspicion. Serenity stays still, unable to move from sheer exhaustion. She can't even move her eyelids to cover her eyes, to try and rest. But, that would leave her mental defenses down. Her eyes flicker back to the pair as the raven-haired man throws the other out of the window. He turns towards her, smirking. He whips his head around as a red block flies from the wall and outside. Scowling, he returns to the window and looks down, he looks back at her only to face forward yet again in shock as a metal suit flies, and hovers, in front of the window. The words are a blur.

He flies back, crashing against the ground with a cry of anger. The man rises, only for the one in the metal suit to disappear. She blinks slowly, trying to regain her senses. Letting magic flood through her and strengthen her, she manages to rise onto her hands and knees, using a couch to help her stand. She jerks when a green blur passes her. She watches at the green giant begins throwing the man against the floor like a ragdoll. He pauses, the man hanging upside down, before doing it a few times more. He drops him on the ground, his arms covering his stomach. He lets out an airy groan as the green giant stalks away.

"Puny god." he growls, his brown eyes snapping to Serenity's. Recognition floods his features and he seems to grow. She bares her teeth, the burning of her own flesh making bile crawl up her throat. He reaches her, glaring down at her. She tilts her chin up, staring directly at him. She feels the gaze of the raven-haired man but ignores it. The green giant smirks darkly, gripping her waist and lifting her. Instantly, her magick forms as she wishes. Her teeth strengthen and lengthen into the strength of her magick. She bends, biting down harshly on his hand. He roars, blood dripping down his wrist. He flings her into the wall, earning a small mewl of pain to cross her lips. Her walls crack, but remain strong.

The beast disappears outside, flying through the window.

She crumbles to the floor, panting. She spits the blood from her mouth. The emerald-gazed magick-weilder crawls up the stairs. She watches as the readhead, giant blond, green beast, man in the metal suit and an archer approach him from behind. The giant blond turns his head, watching her. She rolls onto her back. She hears the man talk, then silence ensues. The group approaches her, the rough-looking blond gripping the magick-weilder. The green beast grips her, his palm on her back so there's no way she can bite him. Her magick recedes, building up the walls.

Several hours later, she's wearing iron bracelets, anklets, and an iron collar strapped tightly around her neck. The torturous pieces are complete with an iron muzzle, making it impossible to move her jaw. Her arms are in a straight jacket of strong material. She hisses, pulling against the pull of the man who wore the American flag suit while fighting. He grips her more gently than the others did, which is a relief. She stops struggling when he makes it to a half circle of all of the people that defeated the green-eyes magick-weilder. The long haired blond, well-muscled, man is still holding onto the magick-weilder, though he's wearing some sort of muzzle too. She nods to him, slightly out of respect.

He blinks, before slightly inclining his head, keeping his eyes on hers. No one else notices.

He grips onto an odd device and twists it, a flash of blinding light taking him away.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Four months later; Stark Tower; 8:41 PM**_

Serenity stares at the glass walls of the cylindrical cage. It's the exact one that she was in when she first made eye contact with the green-eyes stranger. She reaches up, scratching under her mask. Only about twenty minutes before Steve - he told her his name - comes and gives her food. Through the months, she's closer to a more healthy weight. She can run and move without collapsing for the entire day now, though she rarely leaves the cage. Only to clean up, and get newer clothes. Steve will sometimes drop by and talk to her, but she never says anything. She only looks at him blankly, the mask always covering her face, from the point of her nose to the end of her forehead.

He will just keep talking, sometimes making her want to smile - though she never does. She glances at the clock outside of the cage, sighing as she stands and stretches. Nearly fifteen minutes before Steve comes in to give her dinner and talk for a while. Though she won't admit it to anyone, she misses the contact. Once, she nearly begged for Steve to leave before he saw the look on her face and decided to stay. She fell asleep listening to his life from the 1940's. She sits on her cot kicking her feet out. She's not short, in fact she's nearly five foot ten. Steve saw how she was kicking her feet but they barely moves from how close the cot to the ground it was. He had Tony -the one that wears the metal armor- come in and make it higher.

She lets out a small hum, blinking slowly. Lately Steve has been helping her gain muscle by going in and lifting her from the floor by her stomach while keeping her in a plank position. Serenity was uncomfortable at first, but she's grown used to it. She steals glances to the clock, only to jump when the door is thrown open. Thor saunters in behind Steve, who looks nervous. Steve told her all of their names and what roles they play in the 'Avengers'. She looks over Thor, seeing the stubble across his jaw is longer than it was and he looks stressed. She keeps a facade of boredom over her face, though her heart starts to beat faster from anxiety.

Steve walks in after flashing a card to the scanner. Thor follows closely. Steve hands her her meal before sitting. Serenity picks up her fork, her eyes never leaving Thor as she begin seating. He looks impatient as he glances between her and Steve. Finally, Steve looks up at her, looking just as stressed.

"Loki wants you." He says.

Serenity swallows the bite of food that suddenly tastes like ash and is dryer than any desert. She knows who he is. Steve told her that the magick-weilders name is Loki. _God of mischief and lies._ She scowls. She wishes to say the simple word 'no', but she can't. She's come close to Steve, close enough to slightly want to tell him her name but she can't find it within herself too.

"He said he wants someone to go against in the battle of wills. He has never met another 'magick-weilder' that was capable enough to fight against his mind." Thor says, letting his hammer thud to the ground. Seeing her gaze, he grins slightly. "Mjölnir. My great hammer!" He boasts before lifting it and setting it at her feet. "You may try to lift her, but only the worthy will." He jests, no longer looking stressed. Serenity ponders on whether or not a God can be bi-polar. She puts her hand on the hilt halfheartedly before tugging it.

She falls back when the hammer budges, moving towards her nearly two inches. Thor looks at her in shock. "You.." He trails off. Not even Cap could budge it a whole inch. He looks into her eyes, shock on both sides. It's several seconds of awkward, tense silence before Serenity tugs the plate back onto her lap and starts eating again. Steve awkwardly clears his throat.

"You're leaving after you're done eating." He says, before rising and leaving the cage. Thor stays behind, still sitting on the floor. She feels his gaze on her but doesn't do anything to stop it, or react to it. She eats the steak robotically, keeping her eyes on the mashes potatoes. They have no taste, but she knows she needs to eat. Having a fit physical body will help her magic. Even at her weakest, all those months ago, she managed to fend him off. She lets her mind wander onto what it will be like now since she's mentally sharper.

She puts the plate aside, glancing down at her loose white sweatpants and hanging light gray T-shirt. She didn't want anything to make her feel normal, it's to far gone. Her heart still burns from the fact that she was betrayed by her best friend, her first love. She stands, letting Thor wrap an arm around her waist and raise his hammer, calling out a foreign name that Serenity likes immediately. She smiles slightly as a white light showers over them and suddenly they're flying upwards.

She stumbles when her feet hit hard ground. She looks around in amazement, seeing they're in a golden dome. Hearing a deep laugh, her eyes snap to a mans. He's standing in the center, pulling a sword from an odd device in the ground. He's hearing golden armor, and a helmet with golden horns protruding from them. Instantly, a smile is nearly pushes to her face. She keeps it down, yet again covering her awe with a facade of indifference. The man looks at her, chuckling slightly.

Thor guides her to a horse and she gets on without help, though the horse is bigger than any she's seen. She grew up riding horses... She shakes it from her head, noticing they're already halfway down the translucent bridge that has the colors of a rainbow. She faces ahead, not looking anywhere as she follows Thor to a castle. She ignores the sneers and looks she earns, seeing women wearing dresses instead of pants and a shirt, except for one. The brunette approaches Thor like a god friend, and they begin talking.

Serenity slides from the saddle without notice and leads the horse to the obvious building for the horses. She takes the bit from his mouth, taking everything off of him. She hears an alarmed shout, but ignores it as a guard rushes towards her. She knows these are the royal stables by how the building shines. She leads the horse to a stall, leading him in. She feeds him the food they have -a grain like oats - and then steps out. She closes the stall door behind her.

She jerks as a rough hand grabs her forearm. She turns her head, glaring up at the armored guard. She hears Thor calling for her, by the name of 'Lady Convict'. _How flattering._ The guard wrenches her from the stables, Serenity glaring at him the whole time. Angered by his jerking, she lets magic flare within her. A shock-wavelike energy flies out from her, and the guard flies back and hits a wall. He lets out a cry of pain. She interlocks her fingers, not giving him another glance as she strides to Thor.

She nods to Loki - who joined him at one point. He looks at her, eyes narrowed. She feels a bruising grip grab her before she's halfway to them. Already angry, she slowly turns, her eyes brightening to the point they glow dangerously. The guard swallows, but hides his fear. "You will be taken to the Asguardian dungeons." He announces boldly. Not reacting, Serenity raises a hand and presses it to the mans hand.

Within seconds, he screams in agony. Her eyes narrow. She lets go, and he cradles his black hand. She sent ice into his flesh. He screams louder when he sees his hand, frost dropping onto the ground. She _does not_ like being touched. After the 'Avengers' had jostled her around so much, it only got worse. Before she can take a step towards him with a threatening sneer, Thor's hand touches her shoulder. She hisses at the man before looking up at the blond. He gives her a stern look, the iron cuffs visible in his grip as he lets go. The threat is enough. She growls, but loosens her grip on her magick.

Thor tries to smile at her, but she only ignores him, yet again forming a facade of not caring. He leads her to the group, seeing three new men that joined. A man with light dirty blond hair and an aura of arrogance steps forward and bows. Serenity instantly dislikes him. He takes her hand, kissing the knuckles. Without a thought, Serenity flips him over her back and kicks behind her. She hears a groan after he lands. She hides the slight smirk that wishes to tilt her lips up. Feeling a familiar pressure, Serenity ignores the efforts Loki is making to invade her mind and strengthens her walls.

"Lady," The man behind her starts. "I was simply going to ask your name..." He says flirtatiously, stepping back in front of her. She stares at him blankly. For several minutes, they have a silent staring contest. Finally, Thor clears his throat.

"She does not speak, Fandral."

The man looks slightly shocked and nods. "What is it you called her? Do you know her name?" He asks, turning his head to look at his friend.

"No. Lady Convict is a term my fellow friends on Midgard called her." Thor answers. She begins walking away, ignoring how Thor follows her. She wanders aimlessly, before spotting an error in a trainee. She looks over their form, walking within feet. One of the men behind her call for her to stop, but she doesn't. The trainee, distracted, pauses and turns his head towards her. She inclines her head once, motioning for him to continue. He does so. She steps up, pushing his arm up more, his shoulders backwards.

She forms a silver sword from her magic before stepping in front of him, motioning for him to spar with her. He hesitates. Thinking it unfair to move, as no women are training, she figures it's from shock that a woman will go against him. He lunges forward, leaving an opening. She swings the blade, shortening it. A cut the width of a hair, barely cutting through skin is left behind. He cusses and frowns before fixing his posture. He spins his sword. Serenity watches carefully. He tenses his arm. Serenity moves before he does, blocking the blow before he made the move.

She makes her sword disappear, and motions for him to continue. Most of the warriors are watching now. She ignores the looks and sneers, focusing on him. He swings, but she lowers herself and spins, her leg kicking his from under himself. He nearly tumbles to the ground, but she creates strings of magic. Sweat begins to dot her brow. The mask is nearly suffocating. She uses her mind to move his body, just enough that he knows what to do. Soon enough, she lets him go. He moves fluidly, striking like a viper.

Eventually, she's below him, his blade to her neck. Instead of giving up there, she slides from under it and summons a sword. The warrior continues. They strike blow for blow. She twists, slicing the back of his knees enough to make him fall. She presses the blade to his throat. His eyes shine with gratitude. She lets it clatter to the ground, disappearing after the third metallic thud. She lifts him up, nodding to him. Cheers erupt from the crowd that had formed around them. She offers another nod to the warrior who grins at her.

"Thank you." He says as she slips into the crowd without a sound, not even a glance back as she makes eye contact with Thor, who is grinning broadly.


	5. Chapter 5

She wakes up with a slight headache.

After they had lead Loki back into his cell, they had taken her to her own room in the servant hall. It's small, but she doesn't care. It has windows and a balcony. She has more freedom than she has had in years. She rises, running a hand through her hair. Glancing towards the desk, she approaches it and takes the hairbrush off. She runs it through her hair, thankful for it. She sets it back down, approaching the closet. She opens the door and scowls. Only dresses. No one told her to wear them, however.

She moves from the room, sleep plaguing her mind. She unsteadily walk down the hall to the servant kitchens. Her stomach is upset, so she ignores the food and goes straight to a silver and golden platter set out for Loki. She doesn't dare even look at the food from fear of making her stomach even worse. She continues down the hall and into the dungeons, passing the guards. She makes it to Loki's cell and awaits for the guards to let her in. She forgot how, but they make it so only people they've let through before can go in.

The guards stare at her expectantly. Her eyebrow quirks beneath her mask. She notices they're staring at her mask. She sighs shortly, using magick to help balance the platter as she takes her right hand away to gesture at Loki, who's reading on his cot-like bed.

"Who are you?" One of the two asks. She gestures to her voice box. They don't seem to understand. She growls to herself, getting slightly irritated. She's saved by the raven-haired man speaking.

"She does not speak." He says flatly, turning a page in his book. The guards nod to themselves in understanding, leading her she walks through the golden wall, they step out. She sets the platter on the small square table in the middle of the room and turns, only to see a collection of books on a shelf. Not caring on whether or not Loki gets angered, and selects one and sits on the floor with her back against the rear wall, opening it to the first page.

Serenity lets her magic flood through her. Her hand subconsciously reaches down, touching the thick line around her left ankle. She can hardly remember the pain anymore. The scar is enough evidence to show how agonizing it was. She continues to run the pads of her fingers over the scar as she reads slowly, the magic helping her. Eventually, she finishes the first page with a small twitch from the corner of her lip begging for her to smile in some way.

Summoning a graphite pencil, she starts drawing the scene of the bottom of the page. A warrior, named Ferik, had decided to so in search of ways to lift Thor's hammer Mjölnir, only to think that the goddess of war Lady Sif could help him. In the end, she ended up fighting him until death because he even dare to touch Thor's hammer, one of her close friends. Serenity starts makngi the outlines of the body shapes in greater detail, only for a jagged line to be left behind as the book is torn from her hands.

"You insolent Mortal, you dare think you can _read_ the language of the G-" Loki pauses, seeing her drawing of the exact scene from the page. His emerald eyes narrow down at her. Her thoughts race with ways of how his eyes could have changed to being mostly blue to all green within a span of months. It should take years. "How could you read this?" He asks, hiding curiosity in his voice carefully. She raises a brow before summoning a silver ball of her magick to float above her hand. He nods curtly, handing ehr the book back before retreating to his bed.

She returns back to reading.

Flipping the page to the last of the book, Serenity huffs to herself nearly silently. She looks up, seeing servants flooding the hall with trays of mush for the prisoners. She rises, slipping through the golden shield to make her way to the servant kitchen. She spares Loki a glance, seeing in absorbed in a book. She walks down the hall, retreating into the kitchen. A silver platter with a golden cover is waiting, steam billowing from the bottom. She grips the handles, her stomach twisting uncomfortably. She doesn't feel hungry, but she knows her body is. Ignoring her aching stomach, she returns to the dungeons.

She slips through the servants, skirting around the bottom of trailing dresses and sandaled feet. Making it to the golden shield, she walks through after a brief nod to the guards. She sets the platter on the table, taking another book from the shelf, returning to where she sat with her back against the white wall. She sits beside the other book, opening her new one to the first page. She begins reading, only to stop when Loki speaks.

"You've been in here all day." He says with a flat tone. She looks up, seeing him motion to his platter. Her eyes narrow in suspicion. He sighs to himself slightly, sitting down in slight defeat. Serenity looks back down, reading the foreign text that she's getting better at reading it without her magic. She reads the story of a twelve-headed Lion that's protecting someone called "Goddess of S-" she furrows her brows, seeing the rest of the word is furiously scribbled out. Even when she tries magic it doesn't go away.

She blinks, but continues to read the rest of the text. Apparently, the Goddess was condemned to Midgard to live until she returns when no God except the Allfather himself recognizes her. Serenity's eyes narrow as she reads on. The Goddess, whenever she dies she's reborn into an even harsher life. More full of heartbreak and pain. Serenity's brows furrow beneath her mask as she continues to read the book. She jerks her head up as Loki takes the book from her hands.

"You are dismissed." He says, taking the book beside her and putting them back on his small shelf. Serenity rises, slamming up her mental walls when she feels Loki's presence in her mind, throwing him back out. She had momentarily forgotten about his addiction to invading her mind. She throws a glare at him, seeing a shocked face masking his usual smug one. Narrowing her eyes, she searches for the memory he managed to see. Instantly, her body tenses as she sees what he saw.

The memory of the betrayal she felt when he watched, smugly, as she was shoved into a van kicking and screaming for him. For him to save her as tears ran down her face, mixing with the snot that dribbled down her chin as she wailed. The men in the van took turns as they beat her into blacking out. The whole time her body burned with intense betrayal.

Serenity glares at Loki, who's looking at her with pity. She clenches her fist before storming out of the cell and out of the dungeon, going straight into her room. She shuts the door behind her. She opens her mouth in a silent scream, the items in the room suddenly exploding into pieces, broken pieces lodging themselves into walls from her fury. The bed crumbles. Wood and glass circle the room. She collapses onto the floor, the sharp weaponized pieces circling around her, getting closer and closer.

Thor rushes in, hearing the commotion from outside. Serenity lets out a shaky scream of fury, the broken wood and glass flying outwards, sticking into the walls. Thor raises him cape, managing to only get cut by a few pieces of glass. I instinctively Serenity's magic forms a stronger weapon, throwing itself at him. Thor lunges for Serenity, locking the iron cuffs around her wrists. Serenity cries out in pain before sobbing. It's been years since she let out a single noise.

Thor lifts her, placing another pair of cuffs around her ankles. Though his heart jerks with each sob that passes her lips, he locks her iron collar around her throat. Within seconds, all of the broken wood and glass drops onto the ground. Thor frowns, his mind wandering to Loki as the woman thrashes in his arms, going silent as she bares her teeth before digging them in his hand. He cusses, trying to jerk his hand away. "Lady Convict, please release your maw!" He cries, gritting his teeth as she only sinks her teeth in farther, blood pouring down her chin and neck. At that moment, all he can see is a wild beast -not a woman- as he strikes her.

 _Slight POV change-_

She releases her teeth, hitting the floor harshly. She winces at the impact, scurrying away and under the bed. Gone is the woman he had seen and slightly admired yesterday. In her place is a wild beast. Thor grinds his teeth, taking a chain from his belt. "Lady Convict." He says, softer and quieter than his usual loud exclamations. he hears a growl that sends chills down his spine. He sighs shortly, leaving the room. Her growls quiet as soon as he shuts the door. The magic blocks her from leaving the windows. He draws a key from his pocket, wincing from the pain in his hand. He locks the doors tightly, pocketing the key before striding down the huge, empty halls.

Before long, he's stepping through the barrier to Loki's cell. He tries to keep calm, but can't fend it off for long. He looks over his brothers disheveled state. His slicked hair is hanging on his face, his armor missing some pieces. Thor sees them at his feet. "Brother," Thor starts, stepping close. He ignores the exhausted glare sent his way, forcing a hard expression on his face. "What did you do to Lady Convict? She is acting as if she is a wild beast." He spits, his voice growing to a near-yell. Loki glares up at him silently.

Thor shows his adopted brother his hand, bright red with pain and stained with blood as it continues to drip steadily from his palm and a few of his fingers. Loki's eyes widen for a split second before his face goes back to neutral. Thor scowls. "What did you do, Brother?" He presses. Loki glares at him for the title of being the oaf's brother. He sighs quietly to himself before standing, placing his hands behind his back as he spaces his feet to be level with his shoulders. He stares into Thor's electric blue eyes.

"I may have used a moment of her weakness to see her past." Thor glares at him, inwardly fuming. Curiosity rises within him.

"What happened to the fair maiden to make her into a beast?" He says, stepping back towards the orange-gold barrier. Loki shakes his head once, twice. Three times slowly, a frown tugging at his lips as he reaches down to pick up a piece of his armor.

"It is not my place to tell." He finally answers. Thor sighs.

"Will you at least answer me one question?" He asks carefully. Loki looks at him, eyes narrowed slightly.

"What is it?"

"Is she Evil-born or Betrayal Turned?" Thor asks, slightly uneasily. Loki stares at him for several moments, the memory of hers forcefully making its way to the front of his mind. It feels as if he's choking in it. He blinks to cover his distress, always a master of masking his emotions. As he grew, so did his talents.

"Betrayal Turned."

And just like that, with a flurry of red, Thor leaves the cell and goes back towards the woman's room. Loki sits on his cot, throwing up an illusion of his pacing, the room clean as he sets his head in his hands. The betrayal she had felt - _he_ had felt- is just the same as what he had felt when he learned of his origin - A Jotun. A frost giant. A _monster_. Self hatred burns within him. Even more so because of the distress he is causing her. That mewling, weak Midgardian managed to make her way into his thoughts.

He grits his teeth, his fists clenching in his hair. The room is thrown into chaos.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day arrives after time crawls slowly. Black marks stain Serenity's skin. Ever since she was taken by HYRDA, her tears were black. She's not sure why. She doesn't want to know why. Thor walks in, holding a chain grimly. She growls weakly, but is too exhausted to fight when he clips the chain to her collar and leads her to the kitchen. He doesn't bother to hand her the platter, taking it himself. She follows him, her movements lethargic. She's too tired to even think. To stop the tears running down her neck, staining her white shirt. He leads her down the dungeons. She feels like dropping to the floor, letting him blindly lead her. But, of course, her remaining pride is too wounded to do so.

She looks straight ahead, ignoring the words thrown at her by prisoners. Her jaw is locked in place by the muzzle Thor had strapped her into. Soreness radiates into her muscles. She wiggles her jaw slightly, but pulls away when Thor tries to reach for her and hisses. He drops his hand to the side, carrying the platter with one hand while her chain is looped around his belt. Struck by a sudden idea, Serenity goes silent as they approach Loki's cage. She eyes the 'knot', not hesitating in her choice to weave her magic around the knot.

She breathes out quietly from the agony as the iron grows hot against her skin. Thor tugs her into the cell with him. She ignores Loki's gaze as the two 'siblings' begin to talk. She opts for glaring at the back wall, forcing her magic to work. Finally, the chain slips free from Thor's belt, though he doesn't notice. She uses a silencing spell to mask the noise. Her turquoise eyes glance outside, before she bolts. She grips the chain, wrapping it around her hand. The cuffs around her ankles are singular, no chain keeping them together. A fault of Tony's thinking. She takes the longest strides she can, her legs burning as the iron keeps burning her.

She's using her magic against her will. She tries to shut it down, but nearly stumbles in the process. Giving up on trying to hold herself back, she continues to run. Guards bellow after her. Serenity's heart hammers in her chest, her lungs heaving. She throws herself through a doorway, only to find herself outside. The sun blinds her, but she continues running. A loud scream of a horse makes her jump, and whirl. She finds the same horse that she rode to the castle whinnying as it races to her. Guards are sprinting after the horse.

Without a thought, as if by instinct, Serenity finds herself swinging into the saddle. The horse neighs before running into the forest, even faster than before. She grips the horses mane, ignoring the calls of a raven above her. She grits her teeth, letting more than half of her energy shoot into the horse. The image of someone who looks exactly like her, but younger, riding this horse makes a migraine spread across her temples. She slumps against the stallion, who continues leaping over trees through the forest.

She comes to when the horse jerks to a stop. She lets out an airy moan, slipping onto the ground. She barely feels anything as she screams, hands flying to her head as images, and thousands of voices overlapping fills her head. Childish screams. Pain. Sobbing. The sounds of a book being turned. Her back arches as her scream rises in volume. _Her_ The stallion screams in terror, but she doesn't hear it. Nor does she hear the thunder, or guards rushing towards her.

She sees white. Green. A small sob from another's lips. Blue. A small gold plate. A single burning eye glaring into her. The feeling that her own soul ripped from her body. A name she cannot hear is wrenched from her lips as she's shoved, nearly naked, into a white light that blinds her. A loud thud. Cracks, crunches. All of her bones breaking. Growls. Yellow eyes. Fangs dripping red. A gun shot. Blood. So much blood. Red covering her mangled body. She continues to scream, to wail in blind agony, even as her voice gives away into hoarse cries of agony. She doesn't see the shadow that crosses her, blue eyes staring at her in open-mouthed horror. She doesn't feel the iron burning her skin, blisters erupting. Popping. Clear liquid dripping into the grass.

She abruptly silences, just as Allfather Odin drops from his horse. Impatient, and uncaring, he approaches the woman and reaches down to tug off the vile mask that covers half of her face. Thor stops him, gripping his wrist to keep him from touching her. "Father, no. She hasn't taken it off as of yet. She keeps it on at all times." Thor says, his eyes pleading towards his father to not take it off. Some unknown feeling is bellowing at him from within himself to keep her identity a secret. Odin glares at his son, but takes his hand away. He scowls, his gold plated eye patch glinting in the forest that darkens as the suns lower.

Queen Frigga slides gracefully from her large paint horse, mainly white with splotches of light honey brown. She approaches the girl, waving her hand over her forehead. She smiles gently, hiding it from both her son and her husband. The womans face softens as the night terrors disappear from her dreams. The horse she rode, Slafnir, whinnies and nudges the honey-blond haired woman with his large black nose. The girl slightly smiles in her sleep. Queen Frigga waves her hands over her once more, the blisters disappearing. She frowns with disapproval, seeing the iron clamps around her ankles and wrists, an iron collar around her neck. All are strapped tightly.

She, with gentle hands, takes them off and thrown them into the forest. Seeing Thor about to object, she raises a hand, smiling lovingly at him. "No, my son, she does not need them." She removes the muzzle as well, seeing her skin red and rubbed raw. She looks down in despair, wishing it had not turned out like this. 

Serenity opens her eyes, unaccustomed to feel no pain upon waking. She slowly and carefully sits up, feeling no discomfort what so ever. She's back in her room, the golden walls sending a migraine to savagely attack her once more. She winces, but ignores it as she hears the pitter-patter of feet rushing passed the door. It must be the mealtime for the prisoners. She rises, ignoring how her stomach roars for food. She's gone longer than a few days with no water, drinking her own blood to keep herself alive. She's gone two weeks without food as HYRDA gave the subjects around her their meals.

She slowly leaves her room, making her way through the arched, grand halls to the servant kitchen. She walks in, lithely swerving around the bustling servants. She looks down at herself, remembering she hsn't changed for a few days. Frowning slightly, she shakes the feeling of disgust away, knowing dresses will reveal her scars. She grabs the platter, balancing it with one hand as she runs her fingers other the thin pink scar around her neck. She follows the servants to the dungeon. The yellow-orange barriers are nearly sickening. The leering faces of Asgardians and other lifeforms makes her sick. She wonders what they did to earn them a spot in the royal dungeon.

She steps into Loki's cell, setting the covered platter on the table with a loud and sudden clatter. Loki jerks his gaze from the item he was throwing up and down. He watches her, with Serenity ignoring him, as she takes a book from his shelf and retreats to the corner. He can't help but feel _guilt_ slight disgust flare within his stomach at the sight of pink bruises that circle around her wrists and ankles. The most sickening one is around her neck. She's petting it with the pads of her fingers subconsciously as she opens the story to the first page. He recognizes the title, but says nothing as he rises and sits at the small square table, lifting the platter.

At first, he thinks she growled at him, only for him to realize it was her stomach. He looks at her, seeing no difference in what he can see of her face. He picks up his silver fork, starting to eat. His eyes to not waver from her for a second as he does no. As he keeps observing, he can see how baggy the clothes hanging off of her are. If he looks closer, he can see the shadows of the ribs protruding from her side. His food suddenly tastes like nothing, and dries his mouth. He rises, glancing down at the barely eaten meal. "You need to eat." He finally says softly.

She looks up, and he forces a breath down his throat by how angered her look is. Her turquoise eyes glare into him. He can nearly feel the fire burning his skin. He coughs, gesturing to his plate. "You need to eat." He repeats, more stern this time. He's slightly shocked when she nods, rising. It doesn't miss his keen eyes that her knees tremble slightly and she uses the wall for support. He says nothing, pulling out the chair before settling back on his cot, lifting his book.

He watches from the corner of his eyes as she sits, lifting the fork gingerly. She seems skeptical and suspicious, but never glances at him with worry. She takes small bites, he notices, so her stomach doesn't get upset because of her obvious lack of eating. A frown tugs at his lips but he keeps his face flat, reading the words in the book without registering them. She keeps eating, only once pausing when she eats something he himself has never liked much before eating again.

She rises, taking the platter. He turns his head towards her. She tries to smile at him, only for it to look more like a grimace. She inclines her head before leaving. He keeps his gaze on her back as s retreats up the stairs. As soon as she disappears, his stomach growls. Loki rolls his emerald eyes, focusing back on his book. He never realized that, while she ate, her mental walls had been down. 

Thor walks down the halls, a grin upon his face. Ever since Lady Convict had been taken back to her room and cared for, he's felt content that nothing will happen to her. He strides to her chambers, opening the dark brown doors. He finds it empty, only to turn hearing footsteps approaching him. She's carrying a platter, for Loki of course, and gives him a strained half-smile as she skirts passed him, entering the servant kitchen.

She exits, rubbing her hands on her white pants that are getting dirtied. She looks down, frowning. Thor grins even wider, making her look up in caution as she eyes his dazzling smile. "I can take you to a seamstress to make you dresses," he starts only to pause at her face of utter disgust. "Or, if you prefer, breeches and tunics." She nods once, twice. Thor offers his arm, trying to ignore how badly her body jolted away and her eyes shut.

She slowly takes his arm after several moments. He strides outside, nodding to The Warriors Three and Lady Sif. He sets her on top of his horse, D'vartem, and sits behind her. It doesn't escape him that she's as tense as a board. He takes the reigns, leading the horse into the city of Asgard. He watches as her head eventually tilts back, a look of wonder burning within her eyes as she gazes up at the golden buildings.

All the while, the crowd murmurs new rumors about Prince Thor and his ' _new whore_ '.


	7. Chapter 7

Entering the shop, Serenity holds back a scowl when she sees several people openly gawking at the pair when they approach the desk where an elder looking woman is. Thor speaks to the woman, gesturing towards her often. Serenity looks around, taking her arm from Thor's, earning a glance she pretends not to notice. She wanders through the shop, her hands gliding across the soft material of the dresses. She notices, with a keen eye, that each dress nearly touches the ground. She figures it must mean Asgard is one for modesty. A part of her wishes her home, Earth, is more like it. Instead, women show themselves off in disgusting ways.

She lingers in an aisle of leather plated armor, curved around the bosom and hips, yet managing to make it seem like the wearer looked more like a male because of the bulkiness around the stomach and arms. Serenity nods her head once before continuing, knowing the chest area would be to large for her. It seems like most of the armor is too big for her. A scowl starts to tilt her lips as she realizes why her body is as it is - hips not arched out enough for her hourglass body type, breasts a size to small for anyone's standards. The flame of self hatred, burning stronger with each year she points out her flaws, burns brightly again.

She self-consciously hunches her shoulders, and pushes her hips a little to the side to make them seem larger. Before, when she was seventeen and 'her body was still changing', she was one of the sought after girls in the school. Not one of the most sought after, but she would still receive stares. He... She scowls even more, staring at her feet as she strides slowly to the back of the large shop. _He_ was the only one she ever looked at differently than a friend of an acquaintance. They grew up together, it made it feel wrong. And then, after a night of hanging out together and watching movies while her parents were at work, he asked her out.

"Lady Convict." Thor's words bring her out of her trance, making her dreadfully aware of the tears making her skin itch beneath her mask. Her eyes burn. She blinks slowly, keeping her head tilted down as Thor approaches her. She blinks rapidly, wishing because of the memories she wouldn't cry. She won't be _weak_ each time she remembers. Thor sets a hand on her shoulder, and with an oddly gentle touch, he leads her towards a large room with a golden curtain. The woman from before is standing in front of it, holding a thin strip of white cloth with odd marks on it. A flash of stinging pain flashes across her temples before it disappears. The marks are familiar, in some way.

She nearly stumbles when Thor drops his hand to his side, but manages to stay still. The woman beckons her, and she moves into the curtained room. The woman follows, before throwing instructions at her. Serenity bites down on her tongue, not wanting to take her shirt off so the woman can use the right measurements to make her clothes. The woman starts telling her to take her shirt off again, looking slightly irritated. Exploding in a fit of self hatred, Serenity reaches up and yanks the shirt off. She sees the woman's face fall, just for a second. Yes, in that second, she say her grey eyes widen in horror and disgust, her mouth opening in the same way her eyes betray.

Serenity gathers her shirt to cover her chest and stomach and runs out, passed Thor. His words don't make their way into her ears as she slams into the door, fumbling with it before she bursts outside. The town chatter silences as they stare at her, a woman with a mask that resembles the galaxy, scars covering her arms and chest, along with her stomach. The shirt had fallen. She has a wrap around her breasts, hiding them. But the townsfolk can see the scars that continue or start from below it. Horrified, with tears in her eyes, Serenity runs as fast as she can. She pushes through the crowd, watching as women gasp and men watch in mute horror. Children cry out, some even crying in pity.

Her vision blurs as she pushes through people. Sobs fight to exit her mouth but she bites down in her tongue even more harshly. The crowd parts for Thor. He's gaining on her rapidly, but she finally comes across a break in the crowd. She turns down another street, and into the nearly pitch black woods. She can't see her hands as she raises them, ducking her head to avoid the blows of thin branches. She stumbles and crashes to the ground. Sticks lodge into her, some breaking skin and making her bleed. Her palms drop with crimson, along with her knees. She rises, leaning against a tree. The scar under her mask itches. She can't stop herself and takes off the mask, throwing it against the ground.

The cold air kisses her skin, her hair fluttering across her bare cheeks for the first time in years. She shuts her eyes, rubbing away the tears on her face, replacing them with crimson marks. With shaking hands, she lowers herself to the ground and reaches around her for the mask, grasping one of the ribbons. She lifts it up, her jaw slacking as she sees a crack and part of the forehead missing from the top right side. With a airy gasping sob that she forces to stay quiet, she presses the mask to her bare chest. Goosebumps mar her scarred skin. She refuses to look at herself. She stumbles into a stand and keeps running, pushing the mask on her chest.

She nearly runs into a cliff side, the earth jutting up suddenly. She leans her forehead against it, close to breaking. Just like her mask. She sniffles, forcing herself to try and stop. Tears keep cascading down her pale cheekbones, now with a slight pink tint. She feels along the wall, the forest not letting a single ray of the suns light to shine through. The trees are crowded together, the branches weaving with each other. It's like the cursed is cursed to keep everyone out due to fearing the darkness. At that thought, a small shiver runs down her body.

She continues, trying to find something to hide in. Pushing against the flat wall of dirt, rocks and roots, she falls down with a harsh gasp into a rock floor. Feeling the change, she looks up, still clutching her mask to her rapidly moving chest. She crawls further into the cave, only to stop when she hears a growl. She can't see anything in the inky blackness, but the glints of a pair of eyes alert her of a giant beast. She slowly stands, Her limps quivering. Her eyes glow slightly as she tries to see in the dark. Using her magic to aid her, she looks into glowing yellow eyes. Long, white teeth drip with saliva. Serenity swallows harshly, her throat parched.

The gigantic wolf growls, louder than anything she's heard, deeper than anything she imagined. She raises her hand as an instinct to somehow comfort it, only for the wolf to lunge at her. She flinches, her whole body jolting away. She feels the air moving around her, hot breath fanning onto her being. She opens her eyes that had closed, only to see thick chains holding the wolf in place. Each piece is as thick as her thighs. She looks at the wolf closer, waving her hand slightly. Flames burst into life onto torches on the sides of the cavern, filling it with an earthly, eerie glow. The wolfs fur is matted with blood. The chains are digging into its skin.

She rips her gaze away. She knows how it feels. The wolf still growls at her, its stance offensive. She searches it's neck, seeing four chains splitting into different directions. She, swallowing her fear and putting on a facade of indifference, walks forward. The wolf lunges, biting at the air in front of her to scare her. She presses her hands against it, him, and weaves her magic into the wolf. At first he fights, she sees that it's a he with a glance to make sure, but then relaxes at the pain leaves him. He stops growling.

When she stops touching him, he turns his head towards her, and lowers it. Anxiety starts to pump through her, though she tries to hold the feeling down. The wolf, staring at her, pushes his nose against her scarred stomach. He sniffs, before going rigid. It's almost like he recognizes her. He makes a soft sound, licking her scarred arms. She winces, before looking away from her own body. Not even the wolf she saved can do anything about the scars. Not even the most powerful magic will erase them from her memories.

Loki is surprised, but hides it, when Thor races down into the dungeons. His face is as red as his cape, his blond hair disheveled. A scowl was turning his lips downwards into his stubble. He strides into Loki's cell, gripping the collar of his armor and shoving him against the wall. He pulls back, but Loki knows what he is to do. He slams him into the wall again. It cracks from the force, his back aches. He sneers at Thor through the ache.

"You, brother, you will come with me." Thor bellows, dragging Loki behind himself as he walks from the dungeon, throwing Mjölnir at anyone who tries to get in his way. The guards shout, but see the wise-ness of quieting after several of the others are thrown into the walls. Loki doesn't struggle, his mind skimming through many scenarios as to why Thor is yanking him up the stairs. He comes to a few conclusions, one of which that 'Lady Convict', as Thor calls her, ran off. He dismisses it, but it crawls back into his thoughts when Thor drags him outside to two waiting horses.

"Get on, Brother." Thor growls, shoving him towards his son, Sleipnir. His emerald green eyes narrow. Odin only lets Loki ride Sleipnir if there's an emergency, though he is his son.

"What is this?" Loki mocks. "Is he going to release my son, Fenrir next?" Loki sneers, anger filling him at how his son is treated. Thor strides to him, holding his hammer with a tight grasp. His knuckles are white. Loki keeps mocking him. "And what of Jörmungandr?" He growls. Thor steps forward and strikes Loki harshly, making him turn and lean against Sleipnir.

"Shut up." Thor growls. He turns, red cape spinning, and jumps upon his horse. After a few moments, Thor turns to Loki, who is seated on his son's back. He took off his saddle and the bit, along with the reigns. The only thing the eight legged horse has on his the thick cloth on his back. "Just... Please, help me find Lady Convict. She went into the Dark Forest."

At those words, Sleipnir paces in place, knowing that is where his brother Fenrir is imprisoned. Both rider and beast feel intense hatred for Odin. Thor turns, his horse already galloping towards the thick Dark Forest. Loki remembers when Fenrir's cries were heard from the castle as the chains were clamped around him tightly. Tight enough to draw blood. When they were done, Loki had collapsed to the ground in tears before rising and racing towards Fenrir. He'll never forget that day, it's impossible for him too.

Sleipnir, knowing his father, runs as fast as he can. He outpaces Thor's horse because of his eight legs and only gains speed. He doesn't hesitate before plunging into the dark forest, intent on visiting his brother before searching for the woman with his father. He moves with grace in the forest, ears perked forward. Loki rises in the saddle, seeing light billowing into the black forest. Fire light. His stomach boils with anxiety, a part of him fearing that village people came to torment his son.

Sleipnir plunges into the light, his hooved feet clattering on rock.


	8. Chapter 8

She had fallen asleep, curled against the wolf's side. When she woke from the sounds of hooves, she jolted and pressed her mask to her face. She pressed herself more against the wolf, his long black hair nearly encasing her. She doesn't want to be found by Thor, or by anyone. She wants to stay with this wolf, who knows her pain, until she starves. It sounds more like two horses, racing down the mouth of the cave, but Serenity feels like it's only one. She presses her face against the wolfs side, bunching one hand in his fur. One of the strings tore, she can't tie it in place anymore.

She waits, involuntarily shaking, for whoever it is to find her. Instead, her eyes snap open at the familiar voice of Loki.

"Fenrir." In response, the wolf, _Fenrir_ , lets out a nearly purr like growl. His head moves, though she remains hidden behind his leg. "Have you seen a maiden? I did not come here just for her, I assure you." Loki continues. Serenity's heart races in the fear of being found. Her scars are on display, pale white lines criss- crossing her chest, a ling going down her stomach from some sort of surgery they had done to her. Her heart starts beating against her ribs, her lungs seizing. "She has hair the color of honey." An another horse gallops down.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Thor exclaims. "We're supposed to be looking for Lady Convict!" Thor continues, yelling now. Fenrir growls, jolting forward with anger. Serenity crashes onto the ground with a loud thud. Thor jerks his head to her, relief flooding his furious features. He leaps off his horse, striding to her. She stands and stumbles to Fenrir, gripping onto his fur. Fenrir bites at Thor, his teeth barely missing. He bares his teeth, saliva flying onto Thor.

"Brother, control your child." Thor hisses, gripping his hammer. Serenity pushes herself tighter against Fenrir when Loki comes into view. She sees his gaze stick to her back, where the worst of her scars are. She swallows down the parchness in her throat, tears threatening to fall. Her hand quivers in place to keep her mask on. Fenrir doesn't give his father a glance, keeping his yellow eyes on Thor. Loki walks slowly to Serenity. She sees his eyes rake up and down her scarred back, following the jagged and straight lines. Whip scars, knife scars. Burn scars. He raises his hands, making her flinch closer into Fenrir's black fur.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Loki says in a hushed voice. Serenity hides her tears, letting her hair shade her face as she grips Fenrir's fur with one hand, the other holding her broken mask in place. She shudders from the cold. Loki, seeing this, slowly takes off his leather vest and then his tunic. He shrugs back on the leather vest, holding out his tunic. He stays silent, and where he is. He watches Serenity with a careful gaze. She looks from his green tunic to his face, gauging for any look of arrogance. She doesn't want to fall into a trap. She exhales from her nose slowly, tears dripping onto the mask.

"You can trust me." Loki says softly, holding it out. Fenrir lunges for Thor when he moves, making Serenity stumble. She regains balance by holding onto his fur tighter, nearly dropping her mask. Loki nearly jumps to her, but knows that will only make her scared. So, he stays in place. Serenity shakily inhales and exhales from her mouth before letting go of Fenrir. Her knees wobble. Steve never said 'You can trust me.', he would say 'I want you to trust me, ma'am.'. She slowly steps to Loki, her heart in her throat. He doesn't make a move, his eyes dropping to her stomach.

She edges closer, her mind begging for the comfort of her scars being hidden. She's within arms reach of the tunic, now. With a shaking arm, she reaches for it and tears it from her grasp. Knowing she can't put it on without uncovering her face, she holds it in front of her to hide her scars on her chest and stomach. Her lungs are heaving in panic when she sees Loki staring at her. He turns, patting Fenrir a few times before walking to his horse. Serenity looks closer, seeing he has eight legs. She blinks to cover her confusion and awe.

She sees Thor approaching her from the corner of her eye and twists, backing into Fenrir. "Dearest Brother," Loki mocks, guiding the horse in between them. "Leave the mortal here. We have no use for her." He continues in a mocking tone. Serenity scowls at the sudden stinging in her chest, lowering her hand to press it against it while her arms keep the shirt in place.

"Loki, we have to return her to the-"

"Odinson," Loki hisses. "We have no need of her." He stops his mocking, bitter tone and turns his head towards Serenity. "Though it is her choice on whether she wishes to starve or to join us." He silences himself. He doesn't offer her a hand, knowing she won't take it. Unsure, Serenity gulps before searching his face for evidence of a lie. And just like that, she feels her walls around her start to crumble. She nods once, shuffling closer to the eight legged horse. She tilts her head down, looking at the rock ground. He slides from the horses back and cups his hands.

She uses his hands to boost herself up, her heart racing in panic as she tries to breathe evenly. He lifts himself up behind her, but leaves space between them. Her eyes start to lose their tears. Thor is watching them carefully, she can see him from the corner of her eye. The eight legged horse turns, walking up the care tunnel. Serenity looks back at Fenrir, and waves a little. Her heart cracks at the sight of heartbreak in his eyes. Black streaks make their way down her face.

The horses and riders make their way through the forest, Serenity's anxiety only climbing when they see the golden lights of the city. As if sensing her distress, Loki waves his hand and she disappears from everyone's view but his. He glances at her, but continues through the town. People cheer for Thor, riding in front of them, but boo Loki. He continues to stare forward, while his heart throbs. Hearing a whimper, he throws an illusion on himself staring straight forward as he looks down at the woman in front of him. She thinks they're booing her. He, with a gentle hand, sets his palm on her jumps, her head twisting to look at him. The mask hides from the tip of her nose to the end of her forehead, though a piece is missing and several cracks mar the top right corner.

"They cannot see you. They are booing me." Loki says before letting go and staring ahead yet again. He lets the illusion of himself drop. Serenity slightly relaxes, sudden exhaustion flooding through her. She can hardly move. She leans forward, nearly falling asleep, but jerks upright as her eyes close. Loki, seeing this, makes another illusion and leans her against him. She doesn't argue, but tenses slightly. Her turquoise eyes flutter shut. With her asleep, and the illusion still hiding him, he unbuttons his tunic and drapes it over her. She shifts in her sleep slightly, her head leaning against his shoulder.

He follows Thor to the palace, not once taking the illusion of himself down. The crowd cheers for Thor, but boos Loki. Sometimes, they even throw things. A chalice nearly strikes the woman leaning against him. He crushes it with a flick of his fingers. The woman goes undisturbed. He uses this moment to let his mind flow into hers, to see what had happened to her, and why she was so betrayed. He reaches out to her memories, making sure to be gentle with her damaged mind. 

_The young woman glances down at intertwines hands, the warmth fighting away the stinging cold. A grin tilts her lips and she giggles happily, squeezing his hand tighter. He looks up, meeting his warm brown eyes that twinkle with joy as he watches her. She blushes, but steps closet and swings his arm over her shoulder to cuddle into his side. He laughs, the sound deep and comforting. He stops in the middle of the sidewalk to hug her, pressing his lips to her forehead._

 _"I love you, Serenity." He says, grinning with pearly white teeth. She laughs happily, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him of the lips. The kiss is short and sweet._

 _"I love you too, Ben." She says, pecking his nose with a warm smile before sliding back to his side. The teen laughs,wrapping his arms around her waist and spinning in a circle. People on the sidewalk stop and smile at the two before continuing on their way. Serenity's heart beats with love and joy as they walk towards the park hand in hand._

 _"Serenity," Ben starts, looking down at her. She smiles, expecting another bout of his love or how beautiful she is. "I want you to know, I do love you." He says. Her brows furrow in confusion. A black van stops beside them. She doesn't notice. "I always will, okay?"_

 _"Okay." She says, uncertainty lacing her voice._

 _"But, this group, they said they would give me so much money if I handed you over." Ben says, his grip getting tighter. Serenity's heart stops._

 _"What do you mean? Ben?" She asks, her eyes wide with terror._

 _"But, baby," He kisses her, the kiss filled with guilt, anger, and pain. She can't help but kiss back, her heart thinking it's a joke while her brain knows it isn't. She's always followed her heart. "I will always love you. Always." She looks up at him, her eyes clouding with clear tears._

 _"What do you mean?" She asks quietly, her eyes begging for him to say it's just a joke. It isn't._

 _At that moment, several pairs of hands grab her arms. She lets out a strangled cry, fighting against the hands. Ben watches, a sad smile covering his face. His eyes are glazed with tears._

 _"Ben," She cries out, her body being pulled into a dark van, the engine purring. Her ankles are pulled from under her. She crashes to the sidewalk. No one helps. Several people film it on their phone, but don't make a move to help the seventeen year old. "Ben please help me." She screams in terror, her heart beating out of her chest. Tears drip slowly onto the wet cement. Her gloves fall off. Her scarf chokes her._

 _Ben puts his hands in his pockets._ _A man steps to him, holding out a silver briefcase. Ben takes it with a nod. Serenity struggles, screaming and pleading for someone to help her. Her heart withers, breaking into pieces like fine china. "Ben, please." She begs, quieter. She can hardly see because of her tears. She can only focus on the black blob of Ben as he turns and walks down the sidewalk._

 _She hits the metal floor, doors slamming shut. She can't see. She recoils in pain as pointed shoes dig into her stomach and back. "Ben." She screams, earning another harsh blow to her stomach. "Ben, please. Please. I love you." She begs, her disoriented mind thinking he can hear her. The men beat her, not stopping as her cries become garbles, snot, tears, and saliva mix on the floor below her face. The men kick and punch her, grunts of pain interrupting her cries for her boyfriend of two years on this day._

 _"Ben, please. Please. Please." she cries to herself quietly, her body burning from the harsh blows. Her heart throbs in her chest, worse then the kicks and punches to her face. The men stop once she quiets, thinking she had passed out. She's awake, staring into the blackness. Her heart won't stop hurting. Her mind is torturing her with memories of sweet kisses, warm hands intertwined from the winter cold. Tears drip down her cheeks, tinting black. As black as her broken heart is._

 _The mask in still in her bag, they never thought to take her purse away. Tears making wide rivers down her face, she reaches for it. Ben got it for her. It's a bittersweet reminder. Her heart seizes in emotional agony. She presses it to her face. She shuts her eyes, not tired, but heartbroken. Her body quakes with silent sobs, her mouth open in a mute scream of her heart ache.  
_

Loki pulls himself out of her mind, his own cheeks wet with tears. He drops the illusion of hiding her, now at the palace. He drops his own, but makes one to cover his tears. Midguardian's are worse then he could ever think, giving up their loved ones for mere money. _Money_. She went through seven years of torture for money. Her lover just... gave her up. Loki is filled with firey anger, but holds it down. Odin is watching him, and the woman named Serenity leaning against him.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Long Ago_**

"Loki?" A woman's voice calls. The owner of that voice is the young Goddess Se̶̛͔̻̥̓̾͜r̵̨̫̰̀͜e̵̪̘̲͑̈́̐͜ _n̴̜̆͝ị̸̖̃_ t̵͉̻͛̍̌̊ **ÿ̸̯́**. Her hair is cascading down her shoulders, slightly curly at the ends. She doesn't want Loki to know, but he needs too. Her heart is beating in anxiety, seeing the raven-haired male she is fond over approaching with a small, warm smile.

"Lady Se̶̛͔̻̥̓̾͜r̵̨̫̰̀͜e̵̪̘̲͑̈́̐͜ _n̴̜̆͝ị̸̖̃_ t̵͉̻͛̍̌̊ **ÿ̸̯́**." He greets happily, taking his hand in uses her magick to help bring him peace, knowing he's troubled without a single look into his eyes. She hides her uneasiness, keeping her hand in his to keep him calm when she tells him. His eyes narrow slightly, and she knows his mind is working as to why she's still holding his hand. Usually, they only hold hands alone, not in the public halls. She looks into his green eyes, emerald meeting _t̴͝ù̷r̡q̶͝ú͘͞͝ o̧͢͝͡í̢ **s̢͘͡** e҉̀͠ _..

"Prince Loki." She starts, pausing in their steps. She takes his other hand, making him scowl slightly. He knows something is wrong. "O-Odin is going to banish me." She confesses, tears in her eyes. She floods her magick into him, but it doesn't work. He pushes defenses against hers, rendering it useless. Her hands drop to her sides.

"What do you mean _banish_ you?" The God of Lies and mischief growls, his eyes narrowed dangerously. She bites her lip nervously.

"He thinks I'm after the throne, though we both know Thor is to take it. I just don't think he's ever enjoyed my company." She finally says, taking his hand for moral support, not using her magick. Loki leads her to the throne room, the golden steps leading up to Odin. He glares at her with one eye. Se̶̛͔̻̥̓̾͜r̵̨̫̰̀͜e̵̪̘̲͑̈́̐͜ _n̴̜̆͝ị̸̖̃_ t̵͉̻͛̍̌̊ **ÿ̸̯́** lowers her gaze, feeling sick to her stomach. She quietly gulps.

Loki and Odin begin to shout, Loki holding her hand tightly all the while. Se̶̛͔̻̥̓̾͜r̵̨̫̰̀͜e̵̪̘̲͑̈́̐͜ _n̴̜̆͝ị̸̖̃_ t̵͉̻͛̍̌̊ **ÿ̸̯́** looks up when she is wrenched away from Loki. She stares into his green eyes in horror, reaching for him. "Loki," She cries, her eyes bursting with tears. Loki lets out an anguished cry, reaching for her as he is held back. Odin glares into her with a single blue eye, a gold plate covering the other. She screams in agony, feeling the dress being taken off, leaving her in a nearly see through slip. Women are banished nearly naked, men are naked unless they are royalty. Her head is thrown back as her body shudders in agony, a scream permeating each room in the palace as her title as a Goddess it ripped from her. It feels as if her soul is being taken from her. A name she can barely hear, "Loki!", is wrenched from her lips as she is shoved harshly into a white light.

She's falling. . .

She hits the ground with a thud. She can feel each of her bones break into pieces. She sobs for someone she cannot remember. She tries to turn her head, but only hears cracks and crunches from her bones. She wails in torment. Her cries are heard by a pack of coyotes, joined together for a short time. They follow the scent of blood. Her bones protrude from her flesh. Yellow eyes glimmer in the dark, eyeing her with hunger. They attack. The pain is like nothing she's felt. She keeps screaming. Their fangs are dripping red. A hunter, following, hears her cries. He aims and fires. A gunshot echoes in the forest. The coyotes flee, yipping in fear.

Blood. There's so much blood. Covering her. Covering the crater around her. Soaking through her silver slip. The crimson covers her body. She wails and silences abruptly. Her heart stops. 

* * *

_Shorter than usual, for a reason~_


	10. Chapter 10

_I know this is cheesy, but thank you for the reviews they put a smile on my face!_

* * *

Serenity sits up, holding her mask, sweat rolling off of her body. Her heart is banging against her ribs. The area comes into focus, and she realizes she's leaning against Loki and nearly hit his chin with the top of her head. She scoots away as far as she can, feeling claustrophobic. Her eyes wander around the area, seeing them nearing the stables. Her heart stops when she makes eye contact with a one eyed man. He has a silver plate covering his right eye. A single blue orb glares into her, as if looking into her soul. Serenity's heart stops in her chest, her body becoming cold.

 _Odin._

The name rings in her ears. A migraine shoots across her temples, her eyes burning. She shuts her eyes, forcing no discomfort to show on her face. Her heart jolts when she doesn't feel the mask on her face. She shoots her hand up, the tips of her fingers harshly meeting the porcelain mask. She exhales slowly in relief. She glances to look at Loki, seeing him staring at her with his eyebrows furrowed. A small scowl is tugging his lips downwards. She averts her gaze, avoiding even looking at the area where Odin is standing.

The horse turns, going around the back of the palace. Golden stables await, along with three more horses. She hears Thor following them. _It must be the royal stables_ , she thinks to herself. She looks over the horses. The biggest stall is empty with a golden plate with ' _Sleipnir_ ' written on it. She frowns in confusion, wondering how she knows what it says. She looks at the different names on each of them, growing more curious. ' _Altheal'_ one reads. Inside of that large stall is a light brown horse, with wide dark brown eyes. She has long eyelashes. Serenity feels the need to comfort her, she looks as if she's mourning. She looks back at the plate, seeing a smaller name beneath it. ' _Frigga'_. An image of a woman, a tiny bit shorter than her, flashes across her eyes. The top part of her hair was piled on top of her head, while the rest fall down her back. She was wearing a cream colored dress fit for royalty. She is royalty.

Her head turns when Thor slides off of his giant horse, which is bulky and muscly. His light yellow mane nearly touches his knees. She looks at the name, the gold glinting from the sunlight. ' _Grenjan'_ the golden plate reads. Her eyes are stolen from the golden blond horse, and she looks at the back. In probably the smallest stable of them all is a black horse. She has white spots spotting his read and back legs. Her thick mane and tail are unbrushed and dirty. She's whinnying in alarm as a man tries to enter the stall. She feels Loki stiffen behind her.

Not thinking, Serenity slides from the horses back, leaving Loki, while holding onto the green tunic covering her with her elbow and holding her mask in place with her hand tightly as she walks slowly towards the stall. The horse, seeing her, becomes more frantic. The horse is a mare, Serenity notices right away. She keeps approaching the horse, holding one hand in the air while the other holds the tunic in place. The oldish man with graying glares at the horse before biting his lip, glancing at the prince and Loki in worry. Serenity narrows her turquoise eyes. He was going to shout at the mare. She glares at him, trying not to channel her anger to her face and only to her eyes. She walks forward slowly, until she has to look up slightly to glare into the mans eyes. He tries to step back.

She, without thinking, raises her hand and strikes him across the cheek with her open hand. He tumbles to the ground from the force of the hit. She growls at him, before turning to the horse. The mare is kicking and whinnying in panic. Serenity opens the gate, not flinching as the mare rears in terror, her eyes wide, the whites of her eyes visible. She shuts the gate behind her as she steps in. She can hear Thor calling for her gently to leave the stall, that not even Loki could tame his own horse. She turns her head slowly, only to scowl at Thor. She finds herself glancing at Loki, only to see him looking at her with can could only be confusion and worry. She doesn't mind, she herself is nearly confused as to why she's risking her life to pet this horse. She looks back at the mare, who is screeching and rearing onto her back legs.

Serenity sits down, crossing her legs.

The horse continues to scream and kick, but never near her. Serenity resolves that she's scared of the man that was about to take scare of her. He's leaning against the wall, scowling towards the stall with a deadly look of malice in his dark grey eyes. Serenity rises, still slowly, and opens the stall door. Walking through, she doesn't close it behind her. She glances at the horse, seeing it slightly calmed by the open door. She looks back at the man, seeing Thor move to shut the stall door behind her. She raises her hand to him, and he stops. She continues her journey to the man. Gritting her teeth, she grabs the mans collar and throws him outside harshly. He hits the ground with a cry. Her anger is making her stronger, along with her magick. She shuts the door behind him.

She walks back into the stall, leaving the door open. Softly, she beckons to the nearly-calm horse. The horse lets out a shaky neigh, and slightly steps closer. With each step the horse makes, she copies it and steps back one. By the time the horse is out of her stall, she's staring at Serenity with her full attention. She smiles at the horse, who softly neighs in return. Serenity keeps walking slowly backwards the horse following her, step for step. The mare stops, skirting backwards. Serenity turns her head, seeing Thor holding his hammer. She glares at him, then his hammer. She looks pointedly between the two. She's getting more and more frustrated the more the mare is.

She finally decides to do something stupid.

She approaches the horse, slightly from the side. She touches her neck. The horse shudders. She gently rubs her hand along her neck, and chest as she starts to move backwards. The horse stretches her neck out once Serenity gently scratches at her jaw. _Come on,_ Serenity thinks. _Come out with me._ She steps backwards, closer to the outside. Serenity knows that the horse hasn't been out in a long time, she can tell by the looks the horse gives the outside world. Fear, curiosity, and hope. The hope is what makes Serenity determined to bring the horse outside. When Serenity finally steps out into the fresh air, the horse whinnies and rears. Serenity opens her mouth, a silent plea rising into the air. She remains hopelessly mute as the mare starts to panic.

"Come on." The words that leave her mouth bring tears to her eyes. She could barely hear herself, it sounded like garbled nonsense. Her voice is raspy, it pains her throat. It's raspy and gravely, as if she hasn't had a drink of water in weeks. She tries to hold down coughs. The horse drops to the ground, her hears perked to Serenity. "C-" She presses her free hand against her chest, coughing. It feels lie her lungs are being torn apart. Her throat is burning. "Come on. Please." She says weakly, barely above a whisper, stepping back father into the grass that reaches her ankles. The horse, ears dropped against her head, lowers her neck and slowly steps towards her. "Come on." Serenity whispers again, stepping back.

In several minutes of losing her voice, not able to whisper, the horse steps out. Serenity sees a crowd, far away and watching. She can see the hands pointing, voices cheering. She ignores them, twisting and walking backwards away, into an empty field of thigh-tall grass. The mare follows, her head slowly rising. By the time she's all the way in the field, the mare is prancing with joy. Serenity smiles happily, pride flowing into her heart. She didn't tame her, no, she can see the fire in her eyes still. She made her happy. The mare shoots passed her, galloping as fast as she can. Serenity's honey blond hair covers her face, whipping from the wind. Content, Serenity lays down on the ground. The grass caves around her like a mattress. She gazes into the sky, seeing the suns in the distance, slowly lowering.

The sky is dark, no cloud in sight. Serenity smiles, hearing the mare neighing in joy, her hooves thudding against the ground. In that horse, Serenity sees herself. Scared for so long, and then someone saves her. Serenity shuts her eyes, listening to the soft, joyful sounds of the mare. She can hear a person approaching, but can tell it isn't Thor. His footsteps are too heavy. Someone lays down beside her. She still doesn't look at who it is.

"Very odd how a mortal could get my mare from the stables."

Loki, as she had figured. Serenity stays silent, but nods her head with a slight smile. Titles have nothing to do with it, it's your heart. She reaches up with her free hand and touches the chip of the mask. It's like, with that missing piece, a part of her walls were taken down. Walls she spent years to build while she was begin tortured. She doesn't know if that's good, or bad.

 _ **In the palace**_

"Father," Thor starts. Odin looks down on him, one eye staring as if reading his soul. His misfortunes, his mistakes. Thor hates it when his father stares at him like that. "I, I know you think that Midgardian is someone. I can see it in the way you gaze at her. Who do you think she is?" Thor finally asks. His heart begins beating rapidly as Odin rises from his throne, stepping leisurely down the steps. He stops at Thor's side, not even looking at him as he faces straight ahead of himself.

"It is none of your concern, my son." Odin says, his voice echoing in the halls. He walks away from Thor. Neither look at the other.

In truth, it is Thor's concern. Odin knows when he and Loki were young, barely boys, they and the woman -if she is who he suspects he is- were the best of friends. As they grew, both fell in love with her. Odin grew angry at his sons for falling in love with her, Thor was to marry Lady Sif when they were older and Loki... Loki he did not care who he fell in love with, as long as it wasn't her. When one of his crows saw the young Goddess and Loki embracing and kissing, though it was shyly, Odin became furious. He summoned them and, as he suspected, Loki tried to defend her. She said nothing. She was wise, it made her punishment less harsh than it could have been.

Yet, over the centuries, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Guilty because of how he banished her. How rash he was. He can still remember the words he bellowed as she was pushed to Midgard.

" _You are banished! You shall stay that way until none but I and my wife recognize you! My sons will forget what your name is! You will be resurrected when you die to live a more heartbreaking, pain filled life!"_

The guilt made him angry. She was the Goddess of Serenity, of peace. She was the one they sent along with him and his sons so she could keep people calm as they spoke business. The whole kingdom loved her.

And they forgot about her.


	11. Chapter 11

The next day, Serenity is long awake before the servant's feet scuttle by her room. She sits up, tired but refreshed. She decides Loki can wait a little bit extra. She walks into an adjoining washroom, shutting the cloth door behind her and tying it shut. She strips,barely able to keep avoiding the large mirror that takes up a large portion of the wall. She starts to fill the tub, seeing a small waterfall-like fountain in the corner. She fills the tub one bucket at a time, lugging it back and forth. When the tub is nearly full, her stomach roars in hunger. She sighs to herself, but remembers the promise she make Thor once he saw, yesterday night, that she hadn't eaten in two to three days. In fact, the whole time she had been here. She stops, astounded that it's only been four days.

Four days and she spoke to a horse. Steve couldn't even get her to smile in several months. At that thought, she feels guilty. She lights the fire below the tub to warm the water. She, with a wave of her hand, makes sure the fire can't do anything except warm the water. She sighs before approaching her clothes and putting them all back on. She walks into the servant kitchen, instantly overwhelmed. Not even bothering to gracefully swerve in and out of people, she lumbers to the table and sits. She ignores the wide-eyed glances. It must be odd for a servant to sit and eat, taking their time. Especially for royalty. She piles her large plate, which was just laying on the table, and starts shoveling large spoonfuls of some sort of oatmeal in her mouth.

It's sweet, nearly unpleasantly so. It tastes like butterscotch and caramel candies. Serenity keeps eating, her body suddenly aching from lack of food. When her bowl is scooped, and licked, clean, she takes several pieces of meat and drops it on her plate too. Her abdomen is aching from the fullness of her stomach. She keeps eating, barely savoring the hearty, spicy taste of the meat.

"You eat like a pig." Someone says. Serenity glances from the side of her vision, seeing s servant eyeing her with distaste, a deep scowl on her features. Serenity cocks a brow, but keeps silent. The servant doesn't deserve her words, anyways. "Disgusting." The servant mutters.

Serenity's mind flashes to when she was being beaten, being told over and over again that her mere existence is disgusting. Her arms start to quiver, and the fork and knife falls to the ground. She stands, slowly sauntering towards the servant, her unkempt hair hanging low over her face, hiding her features. The servant gasps, realizing she was backed into a corner. Serenity cages her in her arms, keeping her head low.

"Shut up." Serenity growls, before turning and whisking out the door, leaving dirty utensils on the floor and a servant who is near fainting from panic.

"Hello." Loki greets Serenity as she walks into his cell. She offers a small smile towards the god, setting his platter of food down on his small table. She walks, with a bounce in her step, to the bookcase and begins scanning the titles. When she looks hard enough, the words blur and suddenly she understands what they say. She pulls out a title that seems familiar and settles down on one of the two chairs. Loki notices, right away, that she didn't sit in the corner. A slight smirk tugs one corner of his mouth up. The voice, always at the back of his mind, begins the whispering. He can't understand a single word, but knows that it wants to hurt her. His smirk disappears.

"Hi."

He almost missed it, the reply after three pages being turned. It was barely a whisper. He turns his head, seeing her staring at him. She's scratching at something under the mask. Some part of him hopes it doesn't bother her, or cause her any discomfort. He pushes the feeling, and hope, away. He rises, taking a seat across from her. He begins eating. She keeps an intent stare at the book, though he can notice the words are coming to her mind easier than they had been. He leans slightly closer, just barely, and intently gazes at her. She's familiar, nearly achingly so.

His mind stops after it comes to a single conclusion. she's why Thor is upset, and why Odin has not yet chosen his fate. He's busy with other matters. Her. After more than half of a Midgardian week, his eyes widen as memories sprout to the surface of his mind. He was in love with her, so many centuries ago. Through that time, his heart had begun to seek out other loves. That is why he has so many children. Hel, Fenrir, Sleipnir, Jörmungandr. His two other boys. A thin sheen of tears, barely visible, dulls his bright emerald eyes.

"Hi." he says in a softer tone, reminiscing about his children. He averts his eyes from her, knowing she doesn't have family. Just as he opens his mouth to speak, one of his guards walks in and grips her arm. Her eyes widen, and before she can react she's yanked from her hair and from the cell. Loki, stunned, quickly jumps to his feet and goes to the barrier, unable to touch it due the shock that would render him unconscious. He watches silently, with a grim expression f curiosity and slight, hidden worry as she doesn't even fight the guard that holds her arms behind her. He's leading her to the throne room, he can tell.

 _ **In the throne room**_

Odin paces, having sent the guards to fetch who he thinks is Goddess Serenity. He can remember her piercing turquoise eyes any day of his life. Though they've lost the life and love that once filled them, now overflowing with despair and loneliness. It had taken longer than he thought for his sons to forget about her. Loki drowned himself in other maidens, seeking hands like tricks. Thor had taken to visiting many women, but never marrying. Thor, too, had children yet they were forgotten, sometimes even by the God himself. Odin feels like he's failed, both as king and as a father.

He stays still, though his body wishes for him to pace in front of his throne. That shows restlessness, weakness. Instead, he stares at the grand doors, waiting for her to enter. By the time she does, he's not prepared for the look of panic to cross her features and remain as soon as she gains a glance at him. _She's starting to remember._ Odin thinks to himself grimly. He knows it must be done, for better or for worse. By the time she's forced onto her knees in front of the grand steps, his features once again are cold and indifferent.

She's breathing heavily, not even trying to hide it. She's terrified. He slams his staff on the floor, making her flinch and recoil. A part of him wonders what she remembered. Most likely not the kindness he bestowed upon her for years, thinking of her as a non-related niece of some sort. And she had stabbed him in the back. He turns his melancholy feelings into anger, as he was taught to do by his father.

"Goddess Serenity." He booms. The guards all blink to cover the weariness they feel for their king. Odin inwardly wails. He wasn't always this ruthless. He had once been a young man, just as Thor. And he had fallen in love with Frigga. He scowls at the thought, turning that, too, into bitterness. Bitterness directed towards Serenity. "I will give you all of your memories," _All. At. Once._ "In that time, you will be put in the dungeons. You are a new prisoner of Asgard." _I hope you are unused to eating._ "Dismissed." Odin finishes, with a single flick of his hand.

Serenity starts sobbing, silently, as she is dragged from the room. Odin feel guilt ball in his stomach. He turns his head with disgust towards himself, feeling a sheen of tears covering his eye. He bites down on his tongue. The tears disappear. His ravens caw on either side of his great throne. A reminder.

Serenity starts struggling as the guard pushes her down the stairs roughly. He had pushed her over several times already, and bruises were starting to blossom across her skin. She hisses in pain, trying to pull away as his metal gloves pinch and dig into her pale skin. Already, her mind is being plagues by a thousand voices. Her vision is blurry. She can't control her limbs. She can barely hear herself crying out in the unbearable agony. Within those seven years, she could go through the pain by thinking of anything else. Now, she would trade nearly anything to go back. To never have met Loki. To have never nodded at him,gain his interest.

She squirms pathetically, her legs limply dragging on the floor behind her. She can't hear any more. The voices -laughter, crying, shouting, and angry bellows- fill her mind. She can't control herself. Pathetic whimpers leave her lips. It draws the attention of Loki, who was reading. He lifts his head, only to see a sweating, whimpering Serenity begin dragged by. By her hair, fisted in a gloved hand. Loki, overcome with an unexplainable anger, throws himself at the shield.

"Put her in here." He demands, giving the guard threatening glare he can. The guard scoffs, but then pauses. A dark smirk crosses the guards face.

"Ahh, your whore isn't she?" He says, but throws her into his cell. She hits the floor harshly, her honey blond hair strewing across her face and the floor. Blood seeps from below her mask. Throwing another glare at the guard, he pis her up with gentle arms and sets her on his thin cot. He surveys her, seeing several bruises peeking from under the tunic he let her keep. He doesn't hesitate to push up the sleeve. Scars are still white against the dark bruises. He swallows harshly.

Her silence is worrying him. He can feel her pain, radiating off of her in tsunamis. He winces, before pressing two fingers against her arm. Brows arched down in frustration and concentration, the bruises slowly fade into her skin, healing. The scars stay. Sweat rolls from her skin, soaking through the green tunic.

He turns to one of his personal guards, both rarely speaking to any one."She needs cold water and a rag. Please." He hates begging, but he needs to know what Odin did. He can remember her. The act of holding hands. How they would escape the palace, only to roam in the forest. Serenity never went farther than holding hands, though they had slept in the same bed once. She had a nightmare, only it came true days later. A servant had seen her walk into Loki's room, but hadn't seen how she was shaking from fright, or ehard Loki's calming whispers until she fell asleep, hugging him.

Looking down at her, his eyes water.

She has to be the Serenity he loves, even if it takes years for her to come free of her shell.

She starts shaking, her skin paling even more. The pale skin makes her look sick. He remembers her having perfectly sun-kissed skin, with always light pink cheeks and a perfect smile. She never used cosmetics, even when his mother tried to get her too. She remained hopeful that people should rely on love, not looks. That's why he fell in love with her. Barely children, he hadn't known what the warm feeling was inside of him.

He wouldn't know until years later, when he boldly laced their fingers. A small smile grows on his face. mall tears run down his cheeks. He jerks his head, seeing his mother from the corner of his eye, smiling at him with her hands palm up. Though she is gone, he knows her spirit is there. He raises his hands, palm down and puts them where hers once were. A silent way of saying 'I love you'.

He grips into Serenity's hand, sending his small supply of magic into her as he moves himself into her mind with determination to help her through whatever Odin is putting her through. Whatever it is, whatever the cost, he's going to help her remember herself. He's going to help her to remember him. He loves her to much to let go, his heart finally remembers why he became so empty.

* * *

 _So, many of you guessed that she's the Goddess of Serenity. But... are you right?~~~~_


End file.
